Pathol.
a form of paralysis believed to be caused by a prenatal brain defect or by brain
injury during birth, most marked in certain motor areas and characterized by
difficulty in control of the voluntary muscles.

Cerebral Palsy ,
disability caused by brain damage before or during birth or in the first years,
resulting in a loss of voluntary muscular control and coordination. Although the
exact cause is unknown, apparent predisposing factors include disease (e.g.,
rubella, genital
herpes simplex),
very low infant birth weight (less than 3.3 lb [1.5 kg]), and injury or physical
abuse. Maternal smoking, alcohol consumption, and ingestion of certain drugs can
also contribute. Many cases are thought to be due to oxygen deficiency during
the birth process. The severity of the affliction is dependent on the extent of
the brain damage. Those with mild cases may have only a few affected muscles,
while severe cases can result in total loss of coordination or paralysis.

There are many different forms of the disability,
each caused by damage to a different area of the brain. The spastic type,
accounting for over half of the cases, results from damage to the motor areas of
the cerebral cortex and causes the affected muscles to be contracted and over
responsive to stimuli. Athetoid cerebral palsy, caused by damage to the basal
ganglia, results in continual, involuntary writhing movements. Choreic cerebral
palsy is characterized by jerking, flailing movements. Ataxic cerebral palsy,
involving the cerebellum, causes either an impaired sense of balance or a lack
of coordinated movements. In addition to these types, which may occur singly or
together, emotional, visual, and hearing impairments and convulsive seizures may
be present. Some of those affected have a degree of mental retardation, but in
many the intellect is unimpaired.

There is no cure for the disorder. Treatment
usually includes physical, occupational, and speech therapy, and sometimes
includes biofeedback and muscle relaxants. Sometimes appliances such as braces
and surgery are helpful. Measures that appear to help decrease the incidence of
cerebral palsy include maternal immunization against rubella, maternal
abstention from smoking and alcohol consumption, magnesium sulfate given in
premature labor, treatment for Rh incompatibility (see
blood groups), and
treatment of hyperbilirubinemia (jaundice)
in the newborn.

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